1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treating a work material and, more particularly, to such a method which has particular utility in the treatment of target constituents such as maybe borne by water and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The treatment of work materials of a wide variety of types for the purpose of rendering of them for use suitable in specific manners and for specific purposes is, of course, at least as old as recorded human history. Since one of the necessities of life for human beings, as well as virtually all other creatures, is the consumption of water, the availability of an access to water constitutes one of the earliest examples of such material treatment. In addition to its necessity as a life sustaining substance, water has also long been known for usage for a host of different purposes including only by way of example, transportation, energy, material processing, and a wide assortment of other usages. In the case of water, used for any such desired purpose, the water must, in many instances, be rendered suitable for the prescribed usage.
The most critical requirements for any specified usage of water or the like is, of course, for human consumption. Thus, it has long been known to treat water in a range of volumes from small quantities to enormous quantities to render the water suitable for human consumption, as well as other usages requiring similarly critical parameters. The treatment required for the water received, of course, is dependent upon the source and condition of the water involved. In some instances the source of the water involved is suitable as received and requires no such treatment. In many, or most, other circumstances the water requires treatment for various purposes.
One of the most common requirements for treating water to render it suitable for human consumption is to disinfect the water to avoid contaminants of a wide variety of types. A relatively common method for accomplishing this purpose, in many areas of the world including the United States, is to employ ozone in the treatment of the water received for the disinfection of the water prior to release for the desired human consumption. Ozone has been found desirable for this purpose in that it also efficiently treats ground waters containing significant amounts of iron, manganese, nitrite ion and hydrogen sulfide. Ozone is additionally desirable in that it does not produce some by-products and in that it does not, in itself, introduce undesirable substances into the resultant water.
However, the use of ozone for this purpose does contribute to a number of side effects or conditions which detract from its practically for use. For example, any ozone gas produced in the treatment operation cannot be vented to the atmosphere, but must be removed requiring extensive equipment for the purpose, more particularly catalytic quenchers. Furthermore, the excess ozone which is dissolved in the treated water must be quenched to avoid corrosion after release from the treatment facility and to allow further down stream treatment such as clorination to be accomplished at the desired level prior to distribution to the public. The most common prior art means for treating such excess ozone is the use of sodium bisulfite which, itself, possesses a number of disadvantageous side effects such as the venting of sulfur dioxide gas. Accordingly, with the use of sodium bisulfite, a variety of types of processing systems are required to handle the by-products produced therefrom. There are additional questions regarding sulfites which may accidentally be released, collect, and otherwise contribute toward health hazards and other side effects of undesirable character.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a method for treating a work material which was capable effectively of treating a target constituent of the work material substantially without the production of undesirable side effects; which had particular utility in the treatment of such work materials as water received from available sources in conditions which do not permit, without treatment, usage for the prescribed purpose; which was adaptable for usage in the treatment of such water received in a range of volumes from relatively small quantities to massive quantities such as may be involved in commercial or municipal usages; which had particular utility in permitting ozone to be employed in the treatment of such water rendering it suitable for human consumption and other usages, while substantially eliminating the undesirable side effects of the use of such ozone; which was widely adaptable for usage in the treatment of a variety of work materials including, by way of example, water treatment systems of a wide variety of types; and which was otherwise entirely successful in achieving its operational objectives.